Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-04
",rell me how you are all getting

iday; ':rell me how YOU are Il = Al getting
Every badly-all Of u.s. Tom has
losthis situation
"Ah, sohl Well, we must find him
another one. And my old friend Mees
Kate-how is she?' s.=g.# S.
"She is tolerably we'll; that is, she's
! not strong and works too hard"
''Ver sorry: yer sad;" said the Ger
man, but his face did net betoken any
very great grief at the intelligence.
A little more conversation passed
! between the two men and then they
parted, Thompson giving his wealthy
friend his new address, and the latter
assuring him that he would do his
| best to- find bert!, for ''Mr. Tom,"
and that he would write or call as
soon as he had any good news to
communicate. The old man went
home inclined to think that the bank
er was, after all, "a good sort" and
congratulated himself on having found
afriend in his time OF need. -.
A week had hardly elapsed from the
time OF this fortunate meeting, when
the banker presented himself
Go 1'O' =" Oe'ctcaOois AetidCe,
Upper Holloway. Kate's cheeks
flushed as she gave him her hand, and
the German thought land rightly
that she looked quite as beautiful in
her cheap merino frock and imitation
lace collar as shehad done in an expen-
sive costume in the days OF her fathers
prosperity.
He said very little to her, turning
his attention chiefly to her father.
He was the bearer OF good news. He
had used his influence successfully
with gentleman whom he knew--a
director of an Indian Tea Company
and he was able to offer Tom post
on tea plantation in India. It
was not very much, but better
than nothing, perhaps-and it was
a beginning. OF cource the offer
was 81 atefullyaccepted on behalf OF the
young man, who happened to be out
that evening; and after a somewhat
prolonged stay in the shabby little sit
tlng-room, the banker took his depart
ure- There was something in his man
ner, composed as it was, as
he shook hands with Kate, and told
the girl that he had not forgotten the
events OF the previous year-that he
was still in heart her lover.
After this Mr.. Brandt became q
pretty frequent visitor at Bautenberg
Terrace, and IN various ways he con-
trived to make himself agreeable to
the disconsolate family. Thompson
happened to be member OF the Hon
orable Company of Buckle Makers. A
friend OF Brandt's, who was a master
Buckle Maker, represented his case to
the board aud, after little delay, the
decayed merchant fohad himself O.
neutrality-suspicious. of the company
with an annuity OF fifty guineas. Sew
eral times it happened that dramatic
critics, or managers, friends Of Mr..
Brandt, presented him with box tick
cts for various theatres, and on these
occasions Mr.. Brandt always insisted
that his good friends the Thompsons
should be present at the entertain
ment. kate's little sisters were made
happy by Christmas presents far ex-
ceeding their utmost expectations.
BY degrees the German regained q
friendly footing in the family circle,
and yet he could not be sure that
Kate regarded him with more
favor. than she formerly did. She
was always polite to him, but
always cold and distant. In spite
OF this, the German determined to de-
lay no longer. He was madly in love
with her-a hundred times more in
love than he had been when he pro-
posed to her the first time. And he
thought that in spite OF the girls cold
ness he had now good prospects Of
success.
This time he said nothing to her
father. He watched his opportunity
when the old man was out Of the way,
and pleaded his cause earnestly, but
respectfully enough. He said nothing
about the strength of his passion; he
did not refer in any way to his previ-
Gus offer. Nor did he allude to the
benefits he had conferred upon the
family. He limited that he could offer
her q home that would be more than,
comfortable, and that by accepting
him she would be acting the part of
a good daughter and securing her Sis
ters' future.
Kate heard him to the end, looking
him straight in the face all the time
The German did not like that
straightforward gaze; it looked as if
the girl had not forgotten the past,
and meant to reject him, but he bore
1t unf1inchingly and waited for his
answer.
At length it came-she accepted
him.
The German could hardly suppress
| a cry Of exultatiOn as he sprany to
his feet and approached the beautiful
girl who had just promised to be his
| wife.
'Hush, do sit down, Mr.. Brandt"
| she said. rising and retreating to the
door. II hear papa coming"
| Mr.. Thompson did, in fact, come
! In at that moment, and Kate escaped
to her bedroom, leaving her lover to
| tell the news to her father.
The banker left Battenberg Terrace
that evening in wnirl of excitement
and savage delight, His triumph was
| complete. That lovely form, that
peerless creature. was to be his own.
At last, at lest he triumphed. For
this he had ruined her father, brought
the family to poverty, and appeared
in the character of its benefactOr, and
now the prize was within, his grasp.
The Germans old friends hardly
knew him during the next six weeks.
He rushed into all sorts of extrav-
agances. He took q house in Mayfair,
and furnished it srom top to bottom,
engaged servants (every one. Of them
| natives Of the Fatherland) }, laid in q
stock Of wine, and ordered the most
magnificent wedding breakfast that
lALondon confectioner could provide.
T. " cry littla nf This rrnfnainn fonnd